November/December 2016 Favorites

I hope that all of you guys are doing well, and that you all had an amazing NEW YEARS EVE! There’s not a whole lot of favorites these past couple of months, just because I’ve been wearing less makeup. However, there are a few new products that I have been enjoying!

Skincare/Hygiene

Jergens All-Purpose Face Cream – Seriously, this is one of the BEST, hands down, makeup removing cream I have ever tried! I think this HUGE 1 pound jar is roughly $3 or $4 at Walmart. I love this stuff because it literally takes EVERYTHING off your face. It is also good at removing waterproof makeup, which I love! I hate using two different products just to remove makeup off my face, but with this one, I just use this cream with some baby wipes or paper towels, and everything just slides right off! It has a light floral smell to it, but it’s honestly not that strong or noticeable on the face. I honestly think that this is comparable to the Clinique’s Take the Day Away makeup balm remover, but just a fraction of the price! Affordable and effective!

Albolene Face Cleanser– I randomly discovered this at my local CVS when it was on sale. I actually didn’t hear much about it, but I knew that a friend had been using it as a moisturizer for quite some time! I decided to use this as a makeup remover, and MAN, this does wonders! It really does take all of the makeup off! The directions state that you don’t have to rinse your face afterwards, however, I HIGHLY recommend that you do, especially if you have combination/oily skin like me, just as a prevention against breakouts. The texture is almost like a creamy emollient or ointment, and it’s actually VERY thick! I highly recommend on wiping your face off with a baby wipe or paper towels, because this can feel greasy on your skin! Other than that, love this stuff!

Almay Clear Deodorant – I have to say, I LOVE natural deodorants, but there’s something about them that causes me to break them out. I randomly picked this up from a nearby Walmart, and it has been working quite well for me! It’s an unscented, clear gel deodorant by Almay. To be honest, I didn’t know that Almay made deodorants, but I actually like this one! It keeps me fresh in the pits, and it was VERY affordablecompared to a lot of popular brands. I highly recommend this deodorant if you have sensitive skin!

Makeup

L’Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in “Nourishing Nude” – I have been in the laziest mood lately when it comes to lip products, but I think this is PERFECT for a girl who is on the rush. This is a tinted lip balm by L’Oreal. It gives the lips a little bit of a tint, like a “Your Lips But Better” look, but with a sheen. I also love how this product is not super glossy or sticky, and it’s easy to apply, especially if you’re in a rush, or if you’re in an area with no mirror. It is on the pricey side for a drugstore product, but I still love this nonetheless! Plus, the packaging is very sleek and beautiful.

L’Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in “Nourishing Nude”

Lorac “Dance ‘Til Dawn” Eye & Cheek Palette – This eyeshadow palette actually came out a couple of years ago as a holiday special, and I was very fortunate to get it! At the time, I REALLY wanted to invest in the Naked 3 Palette, but I was kind of conflicted about spending money on it, and I’m glad to find something comparable to it! I really like this eyeshadow palette because it has a few transition shades, and a couple of beautiful shimmery shades, so you get a good mixture of both types of shadows. The colors aren’t too dramatic, and are PERFECT for daily wear. If you are into rose gold or pinkish nude eyeshadow palettes, this is the perfect palette for you!

**NOTE** Lorac no longer sells this palette, but I will link a similar palette above!

Lorac “Champagne Dreams” Eyeshadow Palette

These next two products, I feel like, go hand-in-hand, and look amazing on the eyes!

Maybelline Color Tattoo in “Bad to the Bronze”– This is one of those products that people have been raving about for years, and I can see why! I love this cream shadow because it looks beautiful on the eyes, and it doesn’t take that much effort! You can apply shadows on top of it, or use it alone on the lid, and it will still look gorgeous! One thing that I LOVE about this product is that it is PERFECT for loose pigments or glitter shadows! I used this with some of my loose pigments for a 9-hour work day, and LET ME TELL YOU…it lasted all nine hours, and THEN SOME. I love it, and I will continue to use this until I hit pan!

RiRe Eyeshadow Pigment in “Gold Clutch” – I purchased this straight from Korea, and afterwards, I started to feel a little skeptical about my purchase when I read so many negative reviews about this pigment. However, when I swatched it, it was GORGEOUS! I love how light the pigment is! It looks like a chunky glitter, but it’s actually just a very glittery pigment! It works well with eyeshadow primer, but EVEN better with cream shadows such as the Maybelline Color Tattoos. I think this is perfect for anyone who wants a little bit of glitter on the lids, or a quick glittery smoky eye for a night out! Plus, it was under $5, so you can’t beat that!

Maybelline Color Tattoo in “Bad to the Bronze” and RiRe pigment in “Gold Clutch”

E.L.F. Brow Pencil in “Taupe” – I loved the other ELF eyebrow pencil from my last monthly favorites, but sometimes the pigmentation was so dark that it made my brows look harsh! I decided to try this brow pencil, and I am FOREVER grateful I did. I believe, this is more of a true Taupe color. What I like about this shade is that it’s not too warm or too ashy, it’s more of a UNIVERSAL color that people with almost any type of hair color could use on their brows. I honestly thought that this would be too light for me, but the pigmentation worked well with my hair color, and it lasted for a long time as well! I loved this pencil so much that I bought 2 or 3 backups! Highly recommend!

Foodie Faves

Cafe Complements Coffee Creamer in “Peppermint Mocha”– I’m lactose-intolerant, so it’s been difficult for me to find a coffee cream that doesn’t make my stomach hurt every 15 minutes. This is a great creamer if you love peppermint mocha! I love this creamer because it’s a soy-based creamer, so it’s easier on my stomach, and it tastes absolutely AMAZING with my coffee! I purchased mines from the local farmer’s market, and surprisingly, it was cheaper than the regular coffee creamers out there that contain milk! LOVE THIS, and will continue to purchase until the season is over!

Holiday coffee – Every time I make coffee, I will usually end up using two types of coffee – some type of strong espresso, and regular coffee. Someone gave this to me as a gift, and I brewed it without thinking much about it. I ended up LOVING it for this past month! It’s a nice strong, dark-roasted coffee that tastes amazing with my espresso (I apologize, I’m horrible at explaining coffee flavors). I love brewing this, and I love the smell! I’m actually surprised that I haven’t heard much about this coffee, or that I haven’t heard about this sooner! I will most likely pick up another package after the holiday season!

Trader Joe’s Stars – This has been my guilty pleasure for the holiday. It was so bad that I went through maybe 3 or 4 boxes (I did share some with others, but still!). I LOVE dark chocolate and I love MINT DARK CHOCOLATE. These cute little stars are just a nice indulgence of chocolate with mint, without having one flavor overpower the other! Stock these up during the holiday season! I promise you mint chocolate lovers, you won’t regret it!

Random Favorites

Woodcraft Scented Candles in “Cinnamon Toast” – If you have been following me on Snapchat, you probably know that I am OBSESSED WITH CANDLES! I purchased this from Big Lots, again, not really thinking much of it at the time. I decided to light this candle one night, and my room smelled so amazing! It smelled like waffles or freshly baked cinnamon buns. I also really LOVE wooden wick candles. They tend to crackle very similarly, just like fire in the fireplace. I find these candles to be therapeutic and relaxing! Plus, they were $6, which is relatively inexpensive for wooden wick candles!

“Okay” Perfume Impression of Giorgio Armani “Si” – I am usually not the one to promote knock-offs or impressions of certain makeup or colognes, but this perfume was a big HIT in my book! My favorite scents during the fall and winter season tend to be a warm, musky scent, similar to amber or sandalwood! Although I’ve never actually smelled the Giorgio Armani perfume “Si”, I really loved the scent of this perfume! It smells amazing and goes well with my Elizabeth and James Nirvana perfume. Although it doesn’t last long, it smells amazing for only $3.50!

Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed my monthly favorites! Thank you for all your comments and support!